My Journey to Earning my Girl Scout Gold Award

A.E.D. stands for Automated External Defibrillator. Many people have no idea what those three letters stand for and what they represent. Two years ago, I did not know what those three letters stood for, and I had no idea what they would eventually represent to me. I have been a Girl Scout for 11 years, since I was a Kindergartener. Having already earned my Bronze and Silver Awards, I wanted the next step to be my Gold Award. The Gold Award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouts, requiring a minimum of 80 hours, and I wanted my project to be something that would make a difference in the community and to me.

The idea for my project started in my freshman health class at Amador Valley High School when the A.E.D. was introduced. I became fascinated with the amazing capabilities of this machine and, with the help of my Girl Scout leader, came up with my project idea. At the time I was starting my project, I was working with Pleasanton City Council member Karla Brown. When she heard of my interest in the A.E.D., she introduced me to the fire chief at that time, Chief Jim Miguel (he retired at the end of 2014). With the help and support of Chief Miguel, the Livermore Pleasanton Fire Department, my team of friends and family, and my troop leader Barbara McKenzie, I was able to complete my project. I can never thank Chief Miguel enough for his wonderful guidance and assistance as my advisor.

My actual experience with the A.E.D. before starting my project was minimal; although, it was just that quick introduction in my health class that sparked my interest in it. The A.E.D. is a portable device used when a person is unconscious. It analyzes that person’s heart rate to determine if there is an irregularity and then gives a shock, only if needed. It has the potential to restore the person’s heart rate to a normal rhythm, as the shock stops the abnormal rhythm. When just C.P.R. (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation-- this is what is commonly used when a person is found unconscious and determined unresponsive/without a pulse) is administered, it does not restore normal heart rhythm. The A.E.D. is not a replacement for C.P.R. but rather, it is a useful tool, when used in conjunction with C.P.R., has a much greater potential to save someone’s life than when just using C.P.R. alone. An A.E.D. is very simple to use, as it has an automated voice to guide you through the process and also has pictures to aid you. To learn more about the A.E.D., take a look at my brochure (pictured in the gallery above).

The goal of my project was to create an awareness of the A.E.D. within my community-- Pleasanton. Not enough people know about the A.E.D. and its capabilities. The name of my project is “Saving a Life can be as Easy as 1, 2, 3, with the Help of an A.E.D.”. At two Wednesday Night Street Fairs and the Livermore Pleasanton Fire Expo, I set up a booth where, with the help of my volunteers, I had games, posters, a test dummy to learn how to use the A.E.D., my brochure, a coloring corner, and tattoos with my logo on them. Through my activities and materials, I was able to educate and reach many people.

Another goal of my project was to increase awareness of the PulsePoint app (http://www.pulsepoint.org/). This app informs a person of emergencies near his/her current location and pinpoints all the registered locations of A.E.D.s. If one is nearby and needed, it can located and retrieved for use. The app is available in the App Store (for iPhone) and the Google Store (for Android). My hope is that, through my project, I influenced my community enough to take action and be comfortable using an A.E.D. if needed.

As I am in the final stages of earning my Gold Award, I have some advice for anyone starting this journey. My advice would be to select a topic that interests and excites you, because you will be spending countless hours learning and creating your project about your topic. (I spent over 100 hours on my project.) I feel that nothing is worth doing if your heart is not in it. So, my advice to everyone is to always do what you love. One of my favorite quotes from Ella Fitzgerald encompasses the essence of my advice: “…Don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong”.

Marina Park, CEO of Girl Scouts of Northern California, says, “The intensive work behind the Gold Award epitomizes how Girl Scouting helps to set a girl on her path, and then she can take it anywhere from there.” This perfectly captures what the Gold Award did for me. As I am completing this journey, I hope to go not just anywhere but everywhere with all that I have learned from doing this project. I hope through my story and project that others have learned as much as I have about the A.E.D. and will be better equipped to possibly save a life. Saving a life can be as easy as 1,2,3 with the help of an A.E.D.!